JP3430235B2 - Data management method for block exposure, data management apparatus and charged particle beam exposure system using the same - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an exposure data management method applied to a charged particle beam exposure apparatus using a block mask in which a plurality of transmission hole patterns for shaping a charged particle beam section are formed. The present invention relates to a data management device and a charged particle beam exposure system using this.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 4 shows a schematic structure of a block mask plate MP attached to a mask stage of a charged particle beam exposure apparatus. The block mask plate MP is divided into mask areas, which are areas that can be deflected by a mask deflector, and a large number of transmission hole patterns H that are frequently used repeatedly are formed in each mask area. In FIG. 4, the transmission hole patterns H are all represented by the same rectangle for simplification.

For example, the center C of the mask area ME11 is aligned with the optical axis of the charged particle beam exposure apparatus, the charged particle beam on the optical axis is swung by the mask deflector to pass through the desired transmission hole pattern H, and the mask deflector is charged. The particle beam is swung back on the optical axis, and the charged particle beam is deflected by the main deflector and the sub deflector to irradiate the desired position on the resist film on the semiconductor wafer. Thereby, the fine pattern is exposed by one shot.

When the block mask plate MP is replaced,
It is necessary to open and close the block mask plate accommodating portion in the charged particle beam exposure apparatus to make the vacuum again. Therefore, in the mass production stage, in order to improve the exposure throughput, one block mask plate MP in which a large number of mask areas having the same set of transmission hole patterns is formed is used to manufacture one kind of semiconductor chip. Then, due to pinhole defects on the block mask plate MP and charge-up due to use, 1
When one mask area becomes unavailable, another mask area having the same set of transmission hole patterns is used.

[0005]

However, since the number of manufactured semiconductor chips is small at the development stage of the semiconductor chips, it is better to manufacture plural kinds of semiconductor chips with one block mask plate MP. The number of times the container is opened and closed is reduced, and the exposure throughput is improved. In the past, one block mask plate MP was made to correspond to one kind of semiconductor chip and the block mask plate MP was managed. Therefore, if one block mask plate MP is used to manufacture plural kinds of semiconductor chips, Management has to be done manually,
Data management became complicated and exposure could not be performed efficiently.

In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to perform block exposure in which one block mask is made to correspond to a plurality of types of semiconductor chips on one semiconductor wafer and exposure can be performed efficiently. A data management method, a data management apparatus using the same, and a charged particle beam exposure system.

[0007]

According to the block exposure data management method of the first invention, the block mask exposure data is managed in the data management method for managing the block mask exposure data and the semiconductor wafer exposure data. The block mask is formed with a plurality of transmission hole patterns for shaping the cross section of the charged particle beam passed through.
In addition, the plurality of transmission hole patterns are divided into mask areas which are ranges in which the charged particle beam can be deflected by the deflector, and the semiconductor wafer exposure data is for exposing a plurality of chip areas. Is represented by using the identification code of the transmission hole pattern, the identification code is associated with the position of the transmission hole pattern in the mask area, and a plurality of types of products are formed on one semiconductor wafer. A chip area is allocated, the mask area on one block mask is allocated corresponding to each of the plurality of types, the name of an exposure data file that is a set of semiconductor wafer exposure data of the chip area, and the chip The name of the mask data file, which is a set of block mask exposure data of the mask area used for exposure of the area, is associated on the computer and corresponded.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to efficiently perform exposure by making one block mask correspond to a plurality of types of semiconductor chips on one semiconductor wafer by the allocation and association. . In the first aspect of the first invention, when the exposure data file and the mask data file correspond to semiconductor chips of the same type,
By making the exposure data file name and the mask data file name have a common part, the exposure data file name and the mask data file name are made to correspond on the computer.

According to the first aspect, since both file names are associated with each other in the common portion of the exposure data file name and the mask data file name, the association and data management are simplified. In a second aspect of the first invention, mask management data is stored in a storage device of the computer, and the mask management data includes a block mask identification code for identifying the block mask and all the masks included in the block mask. The mask area has a pass / fail judgment test result and a data file name including the common part corresponding to each of the mask areas, and the position of the data file name in the mask management data is set to the block mask. The data file name is associated with the position of the mask area above and the exposure data file name and the mask data file name by the common part.

According to the second aspect, since the position of the data file name in the mask management data is associated with the position of the mask area on the block mask, the amount of management data can be reduced and the configuration is reduced. It will be easy. Also, since the mask management data has a test result for pass / fail judgment,
When the same data file name exists in the mask management data, an appropriate mask area can be selected at the time of exposing a semiconductor wafer by referring to this test result.

In the third aspect of the first invention, the block mask identification code is obtained by using an apparatus identification code section for identifying a manufacturing apparatus of the block mask including a charged particle beam exposure apparatus, and the manufacturing apparatus. A serial number section of the block mask to be manufactured, and the computer corresponding to each of the plurality of charged particle beam exposure apparatuses, and the storage unit of the computer has the charge corresponding to the computer. The mask data file and the exposure data file corresponding to the block mask manufactured by using the particle beam exposure apparatus are stored, and the block used by the charged particle beam exposure apparatus when exposing a semiconductor wafer. When the apparatus identification code portion of the mask identification code of the mask indicates the manufacturing apparatus including another charged particle beam exposure apparatus, the apparatus identification The exposure data file from another of said computer corresponding to said manufacturing apparatus identified by the over de unit receives the mask data file or both of these files.

According to the third aspect, even if the charged particle beam exposure apparatus for manufacturing a block mask and the charged particle beam exposure apparatus for semiconductor wafer exposure are different from each other with a simple structure, proper exposure is performed among a plurality of computers. Data files can be sent and received without confusion. In the fourth aspect of the first invention,
In any of the second aspect or the third aspect, in order to continuously and automatically expose a plurality of semiconductor wafers, a set of the exposure data file names corresponding to the respective chip regions on one semiconductor wafer is There is an automatic exposure plan file created for each of the plurality of semiconductor wafers, and in order to select a block mask to be used for automatic exposure, the common part of the exposure data file name included in the automatic exposure plan file is set. The included data file name is searched from the mask management data, and the block mask identification code belonging to the mask management data having the found data file name is read.

According to the fourth aspect, it is possible to automatically select an appropriate block mask and continuously and automatically expose a plurality of semiconductor wafers. The block exposure data management apparatus of the second invention has the computer for carrying out any one of the above methods. A charged particle beam exposure system according to a third aspect of the present invention has a plurality of charged particle beam exposure apparatuses and a computer of the third aspect in order to carry out the method of the third aspect.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of the charged particle beam exposure system. By the bus 10, M design computers 11 to 11
The 1M and N exposure systems 21 to 2N are connected to each other, and data can be transmitted and received between them.

A design data file 11F is interactively created using the design computer 11, and the design data file 1F is created.
1F, an exposure data file W11F and a mask data file M11 for the charged particle beam exposure apparatus.
F and F are automatically generated. In the mask data file (mask area exposure data file) M11F, a predetermined number of patterns are selected in descending order of frequency from the repeating patterns included in the design data file 11F, and the selected patterns are arranged in a range corresponding to the mask area. Further, it is converted into exposure data. This predetermined number is, for example, one less than the number of the transmission hole patterns H included in the mask area ME11 of FIG. On the block mask plate MP, for example, one rectangular transmission hole pattern is formed for adjusting the overlapping portion of the charged particle beam EB and the rectangular transmission hole pattern to form an arbitrary rectangular charged particle beam cross section. The exposure data file (semiconductor wafer exposure data file) W11F of the 1-chip area on the wafer is represented by using the code of the selected pattern, and this pattern code corresponds to the position of the transmission hole pattern in the mask area. It is attached.

The other design computers 12 to 1M are the same as the design computer 11. In the exposure system 21,
The data management computer 30 and the exposure computer 31 are connected by the bus 10, and the exposure computer 31 and the exposure control device 3 are connected.
2 is connected by a bus 33, and the charged particle beam exposure device 34 is controlled by the exposure control device 32. In the charged particle beam exposure device 34, the charged particle beam EB emitted from the charged particle gun 341, for example, an electron beam is formed into a transmission hole pattern of the block mask plate MP mounted on the mask stage 342 by an electromagnetic optical system (not shown). Passed through,
The cross-sectional shape is shaped into a fine pattern. The loader & unloader 343 mounts the block mask plate MP on the mask stage 342 from the mask cassette 35 and stores the block mask plate MP on the mask cassette 342. The loader & unloader 343 also includes a device for optically reading a mask identification code described later.

The charged particle beam EB that has passed through the transmission hole pattern of the block mask plate MP is swung back on the optical axis by an electromagnetic optical system (not shown), swung again, and mounted on the wafer stage 344. The resist film is exposed by irradiating the desired position on the semiconductor wafer WH. The semiconductor wafer WH stored in the wafer cassette 36 is mounted on the wafer stage 344 by the loader & unloader 345, and after the exposure is completed, the semiconductor wafer WH on the wafer stage 344 is stored in another wafer cassette.

In accordance with an instruction from the operator's operation, an exposure data file and a mask data file are supplied from a designated one of the design computers 11 to 1M to the data management computer 30 of the exposure system 21 which creates the block mask plate. Are transmitted as a set, stored in the external storage device, and the data management computer 30 creates an exposure management data file, which will be described later, and stores it in the external storage device.

The exposure computer 31 receives this exposure management data file, and when manufacturing a block mask plate based on this file, receives the mask data file from the data management computer 30 to expose the semiconductor wafer. In this case, the exposure data file is received from the data management computer 30 or the data management computer of another exposure system as described later, and the received file is temporarily stored in the external storage device. Then, the exposure data for manufacturing the block mask plate MP or the semiconductor chip is supplied to the exposure control device 32 via the bus 33. Exposure control device 32
Controls the charged particle beam exposure device using this exposure data to irradiate the resist film on the semiconductor wafer WH or the mask manufacturing substrate with the charged particle beam EB.

The other exposure systems are the same as the exposure system 21. FIG. 1 shows the structure of the exposure management data. Hereinafter, a file generally identified by the file name X is represented as XF. The exposure management data includes an automatic exposure planning file WF, a wafer planning file, a mask planning file, a mask management data file MMDF, and a mask identification code file MIDF.

The automatic exposure planning file WF consists of m wafer planning file names W1 to Wm, each of which has m semiconductor wafers WH stored in the wafer cassette 36.
It corresponds to each of. For example, wafer plan file name W
1 corresponds to one semiconductor wafer WH1. The wafer plan file W1F identified by the wafer plan file name W1 includes n pieces of exposure data file names W11 to W1n.
Consists of. The wafer plan file names W2 to Wm are the same as the wafer plan file name W1.

For example, the exposure data file name W11 corresponds to the hatched chip area CH1 on the semiconductor wafer WH1.
Exposure data file W created by the design computer 11 of
11F is identified. Exposure data file name W12-W
1n is the same as the exposure data file name W11. If the exposure data file names are the same, semiconductor chips of the same type will be manufactured.

On the other hand, the mask plan file M1F corresponding to one block mask plate MP1 is composed of p mask data file names M11 to M1p. For example, the mask data file name M11 corresponds to the mask area ME11 on the block mask plate MP1, and the mask data file name M11 causes the mask data file M1 in FIG.
1F is identified. Mask data file name M12 to M
1p is the same as the mask data file name M11. When the mask data file names are the same, the mask areas having the same set of transmission hole patterns are formed on the block mask plate MP1. Which of the same mask areas is used is determined based on the information of the mask test result described later.

The exposure data file name W11 in the wafer planning file W1F and the mask data file name M11 in the mask planning file M1F are associated with each other by the mask management data file MMDF. The mask management data file MMDF contains one block mask plate MP.
1 and corresponds to 1 described below, a mask identification code M1 for identifying the block mask plate MP1, a mask test result, and p mask areas ME11 to ME1p.
Data file names D11 to D1p respectively corresponding to.

The mask identification code M1 is the charged particle beam exposure apparatus 3 used for manufacturing the block mask plate MP1.
4 and the charged particle beam exposure device 34
And a serial number portion indicating the number of the block mask plate to be exposed with, for example, 0120256
The upper 3 digits 012 represent the device number, and the lower 4 digits 0256 represent the serial number.

The mask test result is the block mask plate MP.
It has information about the pinhole defect 1 and the degree of charge-up due to use, and information indicating whether or not each mask area can be used (good or bad). The data file name D11 of the mask area ME11 has a common portion with the exposure data file name W11 and the mask data file name M11. By adding a predetermined code to the data file name D11, a specific exposure data file name W11 is obtained. The mask data file name M11 is designated. For example, the exposure data file name 1015 specifies the exposure data file name W1015 and the mask data file name M1015.

Since the wafer plan file is first created,
Normally, the data file names D11 to D1p are created based on the exposure data file names W11 to W1n, and the mask data file names M11 to M1p are created based on the data file names D11 to D1p. If the data file names are the same, semiconductor chips of the same type will be manufactured.

The mask identification code file MIDF includes the mask identification code MID of the block mask plate currently used in the charged particle beam exposure apparatus 34, the latest mask identification code MID of its own apparatus, and the mask identification code M of its own apparatus.
ID history. Here, the own apparatus is, for example, the charged particle beam exposure apparatus 34 corresponding to the data management computer 30 of the exposure system 21, and is distinguished from the charged particle beam exposure apparatus of another exposure system. The serial number of the mask identification code MID of the device itself is a count value of a counter that is incremented each time the mask management data file MMDF is created.

The block mask plate MP1 produced by the charged particle beam exposure device 34 is used as the charged particle beam exposure device 3
The semiconductor wafer WH1 is not necessarily mounted on the semiconductor wafer 4 and exposed. The exposure of the mask substrate and the exposure of the semiconductor wafer are performed by the same or different charged particle beam exposure apparatuses depending on the usage status of the N charged particle beam exposure apparatuses. In the case of semiconductor wafer exposure, when the device number portion of the mask identification code MID of the block mask plate currently used in the charged particle beam exposure device 34 indicates another device, the exposure computer 31 uses this device. Requesting the data management computer of the exposure system for transmission of the mask management data file MMDF, receiving this, and based on this mask management data file MMDF, the exposure data file and the exposure data file Request transmission of mask plan files, receive these files and temporarily store them in its external storage.

Next, the outline of the semiconductor wafer automatic exposure procedure will be described. It is assumed that the necessary block mask plate has already been manufactured, and the mask management data file and mask plan file corresponding to this block mask plate have already been created. (1) For each semiconductor wafer to be continuously exposed automatically, the input device of the data management computer 30 is operated to interactively create a wafer plan file.

(2) Create an automatic exposure plan file in which the file names of the created wafer plan file are arranged in the order of exposure. When automatic exposure is started by the exposure controller 32, the exposure controller 32 notifies the exposure computer 31 of the automatic exposure start, and the processing shown in FIG. 3 is performed. Hereinafter, the numerical value in the parenthesis shows the step identification number in FIG.

(40) The exposure computer 31 requests the data management computer 30 to transmit the automatic exposure plan file and the mask identification code MID currently in use, receives these, and (41) the automatic exposure plan. A mask management data file MMDF including a common part (data file name) of the exposure data file name included in the wafer plan file is requested by requesting transmission of the wafer plan file based on the file and (42). Request to retrieve and send and receive this file.

(43) The exposure computer 31 compares the mask identification code M contained in the mask management data file MMDF with the mask identification code MID currently in use, and (44) if both codes do not match. Transmits a mask identification code M and a mask replacement command to the exposure control device 32, and (45) receives a mask replacement completion signal from the exposure control device 32, and sends the mask identification code M and Mask identification code MI currently in use
Send the update command of D.

(46) The exposure computer 31 identifies the mask management data file MMDF to the data management computer of the exposure system identified by the device number portion included in the mask identification code M and corresponding to the charged particle beam exposure device. And request transmission of exposure data files and receive these files. (47) The exposure computer 31 uses the position of the data file name included in the mask management data file MMDF and corresponding to the exposure data file name (if the same data file name exists, as described above, The position of the data file name is specified by referring to the mask test result in the mask management data file MMDF.)
The position of the mask area to be used is known from (4
8) The position information of the mask area is transmitted to the exposure control device 32, and (49) the exposure data is transmitted in block units in response to a request from the exposure control device 32.

In step 48, the exposure control device 32 drives the mask stage 342 to align the center of the mask area to be used with the optical axis of the charged particle beam exposure device 34. The above steps 42 to 49 are repeated for all exposure data file names in the wafer plan file, and this repeated process is further repeated for all wafer plan file names in the automatic exposure plan file received in step 41. .

In the present embodiment, the exposure management data shown in FIG. 1 associates the chip area on the semiconductor wafer WH1 with the mask area on the block mask plate MP1 and associates various data related thereto. By using the charged particle beam exposure system shown in FIG. 2, it becomes possible to efficiently perform exposure by making one block mask plate correspond to a plurality of types of semiconductor chips.

Further, since there is a regularity in the association of the data in the exposure management data, the contents of the wafer plan file, the automatic exposure plan file, the mask plan file or the mask management data file are changed during or after the creation of the exposure management data. Can be done easily. Further, related data can be easily searched based on the association of the data in the exposure management data.

The present invention includes various modifications other than the above. For example, the mask plan file M1F in FIG. 1 may be omitted and the mask data files M11F to M1pF (the mask data files M12F to M1pF are not shown in FIG. 1) may be designated by the data file names D11 to D1p, respectively. Good. Further, the automatic exposure plan file WF and the wafer plan files W1F to WmF (the wafer plan files W2F to WmF are not shown in FIG. 1) are set to 1
It may have a configuration in which it is collected in one file. further,
Also for the production of the block mask plate, one corresponding to the automatic exposure plan file WF may be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of exposure management data according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a charged particle beam exposure system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a semiconductor wafer automatic exposure procedure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a block mask plate for charged particle beam exposure.

[Explanation of symbols]

10,33 bus 11 Design calculator 21 Exposure system 30 Data management computer 31 Exposure calculator 32 Exposure control device 34 Charged particle beam exposure apparatus 35 mask cassette 36 wafer cassette 341 charged particle gun 342 mask stage 343, 345 Loader & Unloader 344 wafer stage

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Claims (7)

(57) [Claims] 1. A data management method for managing block mask exposure data and semiconductor wafer exposure data, wherein a block mask corresponding to the block mask exposure data is for shaping a cross section of a charged particle beam passed therethrough. A plurality of transmission hole patterns are formed, and the plurality of transmission hole patterns are divided into mask areas, which are ranges in which the charged particle beam can be deflected by a deflector. The semiconductor wafer exposure data includes a plurality of chip areas. And is represented by using an identification code of the transmission hole pattern, and the identification code is associated with the position of the transmission hole pattern in the mask area. A plurality of types of chip areas are allocated on the semiconductor wafer, and the mask area on one block mask is assigned to each of the plurality of types. , A name of an exposure data file which is a set of semiconductor wafer exposure data of the chip region and a name of a mask data file which is a set of block mask exposure data of the mask area used for exposing the chip region on a computer A block exposure data management method characterized in that they are associated with each other. 2. When the exposure data file and the mask data file correspond to the same type of semiconductor chip, the exposure data file name and the mask data file name have a common part, so that the exposure data 2. The block exposure data management method according to claim 1, wherein the file name and the mask data file name are associated with each other on a computer. 3. A mask management data is stored in a storage device of the computer, and the mask management data includes a block mask identification code for identifying the block mask and all mask areas included in the block mask. A pass / fail test result and a data file name including the common part corresponding to each of the mask areas, and the position of the data file name in the mask management data is set to the mask on the block mask. 3. The block exposure data management method according to claim 2, wherein the data file name is associated with the position of the area and the data file name is associated with the exposure data file name and the mask data file name by the common portion. 4. The block mask identification code is an apparatus identification code section for identifying a manufacturing apparatus including a charged particle beam exposure apparatus of the block mask, and a block mask manufactured using the manufacturing apparatus. A serial number part, and the computer corresponding to each of the plurality of charged particle beam exposure apparatuses, and the charged particle beam exposure apparatus corresponding to the computer is used as a storage device of the computer. The mask data file and the exposure data file corresponding to the manufactured block mask are stored, and the mask identification code of the block mask used in the charged particle beam exposure apparatus is used when exposing a semiconductor wafer. When the apparatus identification code section indicates the manufacturing apparatus including another charged particle beam exposure apparatus, the apparatus identification code section identifies the manufacturing apparatus. 3. Block exposure data management method, wherein the receive the exposure data file from another of said computer corresponding to granulation apparatus. 5. A set of exposure data file names corresponding to respective chip areas on one semiconductor wafer is used to continuously and automatically expose a plurality of semiconductor wafers. In order to select the block mask to be used for automatic exposure, you have an automatic exposure plan file created for
The block mask identification code belonging to the mask management data having the found data file name is searched from the mask management data for a data file name including the common part of the exposure data file name included in the automatic exposure plan file. 5. The block exposure data management method according to claim 3, wherein the block exposure data is read. 6. A block exposure data management apparatus comprising the computer for carrying out the method according to claim 1. Description: 7. A charged particle beam exposure system comprising a plurality of charged particle beam exposure apparatuses according to claim 4 and a computer for carrying out the method of claim 4.